What's RealPlayer like these days?

[Martyn Tindall]

I've been recommended to download RealPlayer to use in conjunction
with YouTube clips. ISTR from reading Usenet that it's a nuisance -
more trouble than it's worth, in fact. Is this still the case and, if
so, what are the problems?

ThinkPad R61i
XP Pro SP2
Firefox 3

TIA,

 

[Chrome Boy]

I've been using Real Player to download Youtube clips for about a year and
had no problem whatsoever.
John
Teesside.UK

 

[ANONYMOUS]

Very few people currently use RealPlayer! I wonder how they are
surviving these days. I'll stick with Windows Player for the time being.

Just for interest sake, what made you ask such a question on Microsoft's
Newsgroups?

 

[Tom [Pepper] Willett]

Please post a link to a cite or site that substantiates your claim.

: Very few people currently use RealPlayer! I wonder how they are
: surviving these days. I'll stick with Windows Player for the time being.
:
: Just for interest sake, what made you ask such a question on Microsoft's
: Newsgroups?
:
:
:
: Martyn Tindall wrote:
:
: >I've been recommended to download RealPlayer to use in conjunction
: >with YouTube clips. ISTR from reading Usenet that it's a nuisance -
: >more trouble than it's worth, in fact. Is this still the case and, if
: >so, what are the problems?
: >
: >ThinkPad R61i
: >XP Pro SP2
: >Firefox 3
: >
: >TIA,
: >
: >
: >

 

[Martyn Tindall]

I've been using Real Player to download Youtube clips for about a year and
had no problem whatsoever.
John
Teesside.UK

Many thanks for the speedy reply!

MBT

 

[Martyn Tindall]

Very few people currently use RealPlayer! I wonder how they are
surviving these days. I'll stick with Windows Player for the time being.

Thanks. I use the Windows player, too, but someone showed me how RP
is integrated with YT. I remember reading that RP is a bit of a
hooligan, hence my wariness...

Just for interest sake, what made you ask such a question on Microsoft's
Newsgroups?

Bearing in mind RP's alleged sinister activities, a group devoted to
the OS seemed the most appropriate of those to which I subscribe.

Regards,
MBT

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Very few people currently use RealPlayer!

This is completely false. Unfortunately most people *do* use
RealPlayer. But it is best avoided.

 

[John]

True/false, who know what the answer is.

I searched for "RealPlayer market share" and found this:
http://www.websiteoptimization.com/bw/0702/

RealPlayer users look the same while iTunes and WMP users increase over
time.

 

[Bill in Co.]

This is completely false. Unfortunately most people *do* use
RealPlayer. But it is best avoided.

Or at least stick with an older, and less intrusive, version, like version
8, or whatever, for those cases where you need it.

 

[BillW50]

In Bill in Co. typed on Wed, 13 May 2009 16:45:56 -0600:

Or at least stick with an older, and less intrusive, version, like
version 8, or whatever, for those cases where you need it.

I don't believe you need it for anything. As Real Alternative is very
light and works for all of the times Real Player was the only option.

http://www.free-codecs.com/download/Real_Alternative.htm

 

[VanguardLH]

ANONYMOUS wrote ...

(You can't even cogitate long enough to create something imaginative?)

Please post a link to a cite or site that substantiates your claim.

The problem is in making the statement it that it is not known if it is
to cite how many users there of the RealPlayer application (because
users like that program's UI and its feature set) versus how many are
forced to use RealPlayer (because they need to support the RM file
formats). There would be those that want to use it and those that are
stuck using it.

http://www.reelseo.com/view-index-feb-09/
"Video formats: 80% use Flash video, 15% companies use Windows Media
Player, 5% use QuickTime, 0% use Real Player."

So, for those users that only would use RealPlayer because they need
support for RM file formats, no one needs RealPlayer (or very few).
Other players support the RM file formats so users aren't forced to only
use RealPlayer.

As to how many prefer to use RealPlayer as a general-purpose video
player (and not because they need to support RM file formats), eh, who
knows. That's a rather unimportant stat and comes down do who like
which UI and feature set.

The OP seemed to think they unidentified "they" from which they got some
"expert" advice telling them that they *need* RealPlayer. Not true.
Other players will play RM file formats, and YouTube doesn't support RM
file formats, anyway.

 

[VanguardLH]

This is completely false. Unfortunately most people *do* use
RealPlayer. But it is best avoided.

Might not be a consideration. If the company disappears, who is going
to continue using their software?

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10236388-93.html
http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/snapshot/snapshot.asp?ric=RNWK.O
(look at 1-year progress)

Unless they pull a rabbit out of a magical hat, as did Apple with their
iPod, will they survive? Or survive as something else (i.e., someone
gobbles them up)?

 

[someone watching]

Martyn, I've been using RP since version 3 or so (nearly twenty years it
seems)! Personally I like RP but it is rather bloated, just as WMP is
bloated. Yet to me all that is beside the point. You asked about it
because you want to DL video from youtube. I use it quite often for
DL'ing videos, from more sites than just youtube, and find it works
great ... most of the time. There are occasions when it simply cannot
find the link and doesn't DL the video. Perhaps those media have rights
protection, not sure.

I use the latest RP11 and frankly, hope they are able to stay in
business! Competition is fierce. There are MANY other capture utilities
you can use to grab youtube files as well. RP is the one I choose
however!
___

 

[Bill in Co.]

(You can't even cogitate long enough to create something imaginative?)

The problem is in making the statement it that it is not known if it is
to cite how many users there of the RealPlayer application (because
users like that program's UI and its feature set) versus how many are
forced to use RealPlayer (because they need to support the RM file
formats). There would be those that want to use it and those that are
stuck using it.

http://www.reelseo.com/view-index-feb-09/
"Video formats: 80% use Flash video, 15% companies use Windows Media
Player, 5% use QuickTime, 0% use Real Player."

So, for those users that only would use RealPlayer because they need
support for RM file formats, no one needs RealPlayer (or very few).
Other players support the RM file formats so users aren't forced to only
use RealPlayer.

Are there rally that many players that do? I seem to remember a lawsuit
issue on the part of Real Media to disallow that. Which players do support
it that you know of (not counting Real Alternative)?

 

[VanguardLH]

Are there rally that many players that do? I seem to remember a lawsuit
issue on the part of Real Media to disallow that. Which players do support
it that you know of (not counting Real Alternative)?

- Alternative RealPlayer (you mentioned this one). Gives you the codecs
needed to play RM in WMP.
- K-Lite codec pack. This just includes the Alternative RealPlayer -
but you don't need to use the AR player. All you need are the codecs.
- VLC (VideoLAN)
- IrfanView (RealAudio).
- http://sourceforge.net/project/screenshots.php?group_id=82303.
(register realmediasplitter.ax, play .rm file in WMP, get prompt no
file association, associate with realmediasplitter, play in WMP).
- Storm codec *http://www.free-codecs.com/download/Storm_Codec.htm).

Once you have the RM codecs (or a codec that supports the RM formats),
you can probably pick whatever player you want. You might have to
configure the player to use the codec (i.e., let it know about the
existence of the codec).

 

[Martyn Tindall]

Martyn, I've been using RP since version 3 or so (nearly twenty years it
seems)! Personally I like RP but it is rather bloated, just as WMP is
bloated. Yet to me all that is beside the point. You asked about it
because you want to DL video from youtube. I use it quite often for
DL'ing videos, from more sites than just youtube, and find it works
great ... most of the time. There are occasions when it simply cannot
find the link and doesn't DL the video. Perhaps those media have rights
protection, not sure.

I use the latest RP11 and frankly, hope they are able to stay in
business! Competition is fierce. There are MANY other capture utilities
you can use to grab youtube files as well. RP is the one I choose
however!

Thanks, that's very helpful. I'm a YouTube newbie, and my friend
showed me his library of clips in RP and explained how to download
them. Looked like a good idea to me! I'm interested to hear that RP
isn't the only way of doing this, though.

Thanks again,
Martyn

___

 

[someone watching]

Have you tried googling for programs to DL with? If not GOOGLE this,
"download youtube video". All kinds of stuff comes up. I've tried other
downloaders, don't remember which ones but as mentioned earlier, my
preference is RP!

All the best!

 

[Martyn Tindall]

Have you tried googling for programs to DL with? If not GOOGLE this,
"download youtube video". All kinds of stuff comes up. I've tried other
downloaders, don't remember which ones but as mentioned earlier, my
preference is RP!

All the best!

I'll bear that in mind!

Regards,
Martyn